May Musings.

With spring now in full blossom, and a favourable weather forecast for the long weekend, there is lots of activity going on in Nelson.

Here we have Sheriff Tuck (a.k.a. Richard Rowberry) reading the proclamation for the 100th birthday celebrations of the Nelson Court House last Saturday (May 9), while court officials and the Kootenay Kiltie band looks on.


Here is a shot of the "grand old lady" from Ward & Vernon Streets.

Inside the main floor court room there have been many trials. We heard a story about Henry Rose, the last man to be hanged in Nelson (there were a total of 3 hangings here) back in 1902.

There were also tales about attempted bombings of the court house and the Sons of Freedom trials that occurred from the late 1940s through to the 1980s.

The courthouse was designed by Francis Rattenbury who is famous for designing the B.C. Legislature Buildings and the Empress Hotel in Victoria. He also designed the Bank of Montreal building here in Nelson.

Saturday was a very busy day in downtown Nelson. Aside from the court house centennial celebrations, the Heart & Stroke Foundation was doing a major fund-raiser with the "Big Bike Ride" Here is a photo of the bike, loaded up with all 30 riders, who have collected pledges for the Heart & Stroke Foundation in order to earn their "seat" on the bike.

Also happening on Baker Street, at the same time, was the annual Garden Festival, which, as you can see, was very well attended.

Besides this, there were hundreds of visiting students taking part in the Nelson Music Festival at several venues around the city. These included bands, choirs, jazz ensembles and some pretty impressive concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings.


Oh, yes the tulips in my garden are flowering.

Is it any wonder that I am so enthusiastic about this little city? It's easy!

YEAH TYPICAL OF A MALE!!!
An Aussie truckie walks into an outback cafe' with a full-grown emu behind him.
The waitress asks them for their orders.

The truckie says, 'A hamburger, chips and a coke,' and turns to the emu,
'What's yours?' 'I'll have the same,' says the emu.

A short time later the waitress returns with the order 'That will be $9.40 please,' and he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the emu come again and he says, 'A hamburger, chips and a coke.' The emu says, 'I'll have the same.'

Again the truckie reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.

This becomes routine until the two enter again. 'The usual?' asks the waitress.

'No, it's Friday night, so I'll have a steak, baked potato and a salad,' says the man. 'Same,' says the emu.

Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, 'That will be $32.62.'

Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.

The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. 'Excuse me, mate, how do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?'

'Well, love' says the truckie, 'a few years ago, I was cleaning out the back shed, and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there.'

'That's brilliant!' says the waitress. 'Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!'

'That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there,' says the man. The waitress asks, 'What's with the bloody emu?'

The truckie sighs, pauses, and answers, 'My second wish was for a tall chick with long legs, who agrees with everything I say.'

Do You Know A Buyer For This Home?


This is a beautiful 3 bedroom, 3 bath condo unit at Braderwood developments, with a wonderful lake and city view. Check out full details on the web-site at: http://nelsonrealestate.com/mylistings.html#3-1220-MILL-Street-Nelson-mylistings-7651802.property
$419,000

I want to put a mention in of a new business in town that I think will have quite an impact in the months and years to come. It is called The Building Tree and is located in a little office in Herridge Lane (behind Baker Street). They specifically deal in environmentally friendly home and construction products, such as eco-friendly paint and also have consultants available to answer your inquiries. You can check them out on-line at www.building tree.ca (although you may find that much of this site is still under construction).

*Two Feet*

A teenager was always asking his father if he could borrow the family car. Pushed to the limit, the father asked his son why he thought God had given him two feet.

Without hesitation, the son replied, "That's easy, one for the clutch and one for the brake and accelator."

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh

Did you know that the Hubble Space Telescope is undergoing repairs to keep it going for a few years longer? There is a U.S. space shuttle mission happening right now, including space walks around the famous telescope. Have you ever looked at the photos that this incredible equipment has sent us? Here is a link to the site: http://hubblesite.org/ Once there, click on "Gallery" to be impressed.

Well now that we've taken you out of the world, I suppose we should come back to earth and mention the real estate market. Last month I gave you some statistics regarding the first quarter of 2009. I mentioned in last month's post that we were optimistic about a better selling season. If the month of April is any indication, then we are beginning to see a bit of a turn around in some sectors of the market. We sold more homes in April, 2009 (10) than in April/08 (6). Year to date we are very nearly on par with 2008. This is for the City of Nelson and I am only looking at detached, single family homes.

Nelson Rural is not yet showing a positive trend, but this is typical for the rural market -- it tends to be a little behind the city sales.

Although this is not a huge number of sales, it is showing us that there are buyers out there willing to commit to a purchase in this market. That fact gives the market stability. Also, the number of new listings is on par with last year. Again, this provides balance in the marketplace.

With prices being lower and interest rates at record low levels, this becomes a very affordable time to buy. First time buyers in particular are becoming active in this market.

This next link was sent to me by a friend who now lives on the coast, but was born in Nelson, and lived here until recently. He has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). I admire him for many things, but his spirit and attitude stand out above all else at this time. He recently participated in development by the U.B.C. Engineers of a neck brace that is activated by a joy stick to assist with head movements. I thought the results were incredibly natural. See for yourself: http://web.me.com/weneric/UBC_Neck_Brace_Project/ALS.html
Take a few minutes - watch the videos, and then be thankful for the work of these engineers. Say a prayer for those struggling with this horrible disease, and for those who care for them. Thanks.

*Gold Watch*

A boss to a retiree:

"As a symbol of our gratitude, we have created this special gold watch to serve as a reminder of your many years with the company. It needs a lot of winding up, is always a little late, and every day at quarter to five, it stops working."

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh

Time to sign off for another month. We're always happy to hear from you, and are grateful when you recommend us for assistance in buying or selling real estate. Also, your stories, jokes and questions are welcomed.

One final thing. I need to acknowledge one of the readers of this newsletter who, last month, after reading my request for assistance in raising funds for my bike ride from Vancouver to Seattle next month, contacted the Nelson Daily News to do an article on me and about the ride. This appeared in last Friday's N.D.N. and resulted in several donations coming to the B.C. Cancer Foundation. Thanks, Daryl!

And, thank you for reading.

Lorne & Drew